


Glass Hearts

by Winifred_Zachery



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: ASL, Bruce is frantic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tony gets injured, slight crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6841471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winifred_Zachery/pseuds/Winifred_Zachery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an accidental hit from Mjolnir lands Tony in the ICU there is only one place Bruce wants to be and that is by his partner's side. The problem is getting there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My little plot bunny turned into a 5000 word monster ;D Hope you'll enjoy it!
> 
> I like the comic version of Clint, hearing impairment and all, so there you have him in all his glory!
> 
> Beta by hideme (thank you!), all remaining mistakes are my own.

Bruce Banner hates hospitals. He actually hasn’t had reason to go into one in recent years, has actually avoided going, for the sake of the patients and the doctors and for his own. He’s even kept away from infirmaries or doctor’s offices if possible. 

The smell alone makes him uncomfortable, and the noise isn’t much better. Puts him on edge, makes him deeply nervous. People in hospitals are rarely happy. They’re on edge, they’re sick and they’re injured. Bruce doesn’t want to be reminded how fragile humanity is. It is just as well that he can’t really get sick or hurt.

Right now, though, he came of his own free will. And he hates every minute spent in that building. Because humans are fragile and he doesn’t want them to be.

The smell is torture. It is disinfectant and chemicals, sterile cotton and iron and blood.

The noises eat at his composure. Wheels of a gurney screeching on the linoleum floors, the beeping of heart monitors and frantic shouts from a room not far away, a child crying.

Bruce notices he is wringing his hands, a usually unconscious gesture he does when he’s nervous or stressed or afraid. Well, that tic certainly fits in here. People usually are nervous or stressed or afraid in a hospital ICU. 

Where they brought Tony Stark.

Their mission had gone really wrong. Not at first, Cap and Thor had had it all under control against the winged robots suddenly picking up tourists from Coney Island and dropping them in the ocean. It hadn’t been all that big of a deal and Iron Man had been busy, not fighting but picking people out of the sea. Hawkeye and Thor had picked off as many of the creatures as possible while Natasha had tried to find out who was behind the attack.

Bruce had stayed at the tower, as the mission hadn’t required the Other Guy’s heavy hand and he’d been glad for it. He’d been mildly concerned for his teammates, but the live feed on the news had calmed him right down. Right until the time one of the robot things decided to use Iron Man as a living shield against Thor’s hammer. Some kind of magnetic force had just grabbed the flying suit of armor right out of the air to be planted into the path of the flying weapon.

And Iron man had dropped like a stone, right into the sea.

The cameras had perfectly captured the way the mighty hammer had dented Iron Man’s chest piece. They hadn’t captured the light from the arc reactor.

He should have been there. He could have done something. He could have held onto Tony or stopped the hammer or deflected it or whatever. It wouldn’t have hurt the Hulk. But it had hurt Tony.

Who has been in surgery and Bruce isn’t even sure they’re done with that yet.

He had left the minute he’d found out which hospital he’d been taken to. Which hadn’t been all that difficult with all the media coverage.

None of the others had gotten hurt and taken care of the bots rather quickly once Natasha had figured out that the one using Tony as a shield actually had its creator inside. Bruce had no idea where they were.

Now he is standing outside the ICU waiting for news on Tony, which he isn’t gonna get, because he’s not next of kin or in any way related to him. There’s just the occasional frantic beating from a heart monitor.

He tried to get some information, to ask the nurses passing frequently, but they all brushed him off rather brusquely, no matter how he approached them. He tried to speak to a doctor, to no avail. Nobody would tell him a thing. It’s been hours of uncertainty, of waiting. And all he wants is see Tony.

Bruce doesn’t pace. He can’t move, he’s rooted to the spot. He sticks his hands in his pockets. Because if he doesn’t, he’s probably gonna hit something.

But this time it’s not anger driving him but frustration. Anxiety. Fear.

He’s thought about trying to just walk in, but they’d probably kick him out before he’d even get close to Tony. Which would very probably make him hulk out and that wouldn’ help Tony or anybody else.

The Other Guy moves behind his eyes, pacing, unable to keep still. He wants out, wants to see Tony, touch him, make sure he’s alright. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, only that Tony needs saving and neither of his two forms can help him. He doesn’t like the feeling.

The hands in his pockets clench tighter, until he feels a warm trickle on his fingertips. Cursing Bruce pull his hand out of his pocket to lick at the smudge of blood. His fingernails have broken the skin. Great, just what he needs, radioactive blood contaminating a whole hospital. Maybe he should leave after all. 

_Tony, need to see Tony._

The feeling of of desperation gets more insistent. Bruce shakes his head, running the not bleeding hand through his hair.

/Can’t./

From a distance he hears shouts, urgent calls for a crash cart, and he hopes that this isn’t Tony.

What if it is? What if his heart stopped? Or the hit with the hammer managed to dislodge one of the pieces of shrapnel in his chest? Or worse, driven the arc reactor deep into Tony’s chest, smashed it, broke it?

Do the doctors even know what that implant of metal and glass in Tony’s chest is for? What if they removed it? What if that caused a heart-failure and Tony is in there dying right now?

What if he’s already gone and Bruce won’t even know until it’s on the news?

The thought makes his blood turn to ice and Bruce has to step backwards to lean against the wall, because he can’t seem to hold himself up anymore.

“How long?”

The voice so close to him makes him jerk and Bruce looks up to find Natasha standing a few feet away.

“How long what?” His voice sounds scratchy and faint. He doesn’t want to talk to her right now. He doesn’t want to talk to anybody right now really. Well, maybe a doctor who is willing to give him information on Tony’s state.

“How long have you been together?”

At first he has no idea what to say. Instead he stares at the floor by Natasha’s feet. The question isn’t what he expected. How do you confess to your friend and team comrade that you are the reason Tony Stark broke up with his girlfriend? Not that this matters in the great scheme of things, but said ex-girlfriend is currently halfway around the world on SI business and the only person in the world the hospital staff would be willing to tell anything about his current condition.

“Bruce?”

“Months,” he finally sighs. “He showed me his lab.” A dry laugh escapes him and he isn’t sure if it sounds more like a sob.

Bruce Banner has had a bit of a crush on Tony Stark since before they’d even met. He’s read a lot about the guy’s work and was impressed as hell, but he was sure the man was an asshole in real life. Turns out Tony Stark actually can be a huge asshole in real life, but also one of the most selfless, giving, caring men Bruce has ever known. And he never treated Bruce as anything less than human. Even though he probably should be a little more cautious when it comes to the Other Guy.

He can actually feel the amusement from the green menace inside him.

_No need. Never hurt Tony_

No, he hadn’t. Not once. Instead he’d saved him. 

Tony had shown him his lab and his life and had invited him to share both. And somewhere along the way Bruce had fallen in love.

And now he couldn’t even get close to him.

When Natasha doesn’t reply, Bruce looks over at her. “How long until Pepper gets here?” He isn’t interested in discussing his and Tony’s relationship right now. Not when there might not even be one at this point. He clenches his hands again

“Steve talked to her. She’ll be there the day after tomorrow.”

Green flashes before his eyes. “What? She couldn’t be bothered to come earlier? What if there are...” he swallows against the knot in his throat, “decisions to be made? Does she care so little for him now?”

Apparently she does. And to tell on his and Tony’s relationship - Bruce hadn’t thought she’d be that bitter.

Natasha shakes her head, apparently knowing what he’s thinking. “She cares about him. But she wouldn’t actually be given any information on Tony.”

That makes Bruce look up. His patience is running thin and Natasha isn’t making any sense. He can see the slight twitch of his balled fists is making her nervous and yet she’s standing her ground. “What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is that Tony apparently changed his next of kin. To you."

For a moment he only stares. “Come again?” he finally manages to get out. He can’t hear himself over the sudden pounding in his ears.

“Pepper didn’t know. Fury dug it up for us. We’ve been looking for you since we found out. Cap and Clint went back to the tower to get you.” Her voice barely registers.

But… when? Why? Whatever for? So many question, but only one that is really important to him at this very moment. “So that means I can see him?”

Natasha nods.

“Fuck, where… I don’t even know where he is!”

Tony, he has got to see Tony.

He has no idea where Natasha is taking him. He’s only vaguely aware of her hand on his arm.

They pass through a few doors until they end up in front of a room with the blinds drawn. A nurse stops them. “Sorry, you need to leave, this is a restricted area.”

“We’re here to see Tony Stark. Well, I am, I’m next of kin.”

The nurse eyes him disdainfully. “Of course. Please go check in with administration tomorrow, they’ll be able to sort you out.”

“But I thought…” Bruce starts, but is immediately interrupted.

“Listen, we can’t let everybody and their uncle waltz into our ICU rooms. We’ve had reporters try to sneak in here before, so I’m not taking any chances.”

He wants to curse with frustration. The wait has made him edgy and the news that he actually has a chance of seeing Tony, of getting news, had sent his heart racing.

“But can’t you check or something?” he asks, the rational part of his brain already knowing that his pleas will fall on deaf ears. He’s still hoping, though.

“Sorry, we don’t keep patients’ records up here, you’ll have to go to administration. If you’re registered as Mr. Stark’s next of kin, they’ll inform us to let you through.”

Numb, Bruce turns away and starts walking away from the room he knows Tony must be in. He wants in there now! He needs to see that Tony will be alright! This is driving him out of his mind! Anger rolls in his mind and his fingers twitch. For a moment he fears he might be turning green, but then Natasha’s gentle grip stops him in his tracks. She pulls him towards a waiting area and pushes him down into one of the plastic chairs. “Let me make a call,” she says. “Calm down.” Her words actually help.

Bruce watches as she talks to somebody for a few minutes, walking up and down the corridor. When she’s done she sits down next to him. They’re both quiet. Bruce still doesn’t feel like talking and is glad for Natasha’s silence.

Nearly an hour goes by, with Bruce staring at the wall and Natasha occasionally tapping messages into her phone. Then a man in a suit suddenly appears before them both, a frown on his face.

“Are you Dr. Banner?”

Bruce nods, numb. He has no idea who that man is or what he wants.

“Sorry, I need to have some kind of ID.”

“And you are from administration?” Natasha asks, suspicious. The man just nods, not bothering to introduce himself.

“There appears to be a misunderstanding that I was kindly advised to clear up immediately,” he replies indignantly while he inspects the ID card Bruce has managed to pull from his wallet with shaky fingers. He is almost certain somebody must have pulled the guy out of bed for this. “I’m sure tomorrow morning would have been sufficient, considering there is no need for immediate decisions to be made, but then I guess such famous patients as Mr. Stark warrant special treatment.”

“Considering that Mr. Stark donated about three quarters of this hospital, he sure does warrant special treatment,” Natasha replies, her words dripping venom.

Bruce is sure he would have found Natasha’s comment incredibly funny and ironic in other circumstances, since she is usually the last person Impressed with Tony’s wealth. But right now he just wants in there.

The guy in the suit yanks up his head to glare at her, but he’s no match for Natasha in protection mode. He immediately hands Bruce back his ID and points in the direction of Tony’s room. “If you please, you have a few minutes till the attending gets back.”

Bruce isn’t even listening any more. “Thanks,” he manages and hurries toward the door, leaving Natasha and the man behind. His hands are shaking. There is a hint of green beneath his fingernails. Hulk is anxious too.

/They wouldn’t let anyone in if he wasn’t at least stable./

He doesn’t know who he’s trying to convince.

Later he thinks somebody should have warned him of what he’d find.

The beeping of the heart monitor is loud inside and the smell of disinfectant is even worse than on the corridor. But Bruce doesn’t mind. His heart nearly stops as he is finally able to take in the prone form lying buried between tons of hospital equipment.

Tony’s face is badly bruised. Or at least what he can see of it. The entire left half is covered by a thick bandage, as is part of his head. There’s a tube down his throat and smaller ones emerging from the bandages across his chest. They’re filled with a reddish-brown liquid that constantly drains downward into transparent bags. His left arm is bandaged and there are wires sticking out from underneath the wrapping. He can’t make out the arc reactor at all and it makes Bruce very uneasy. But the rhythm of the heart monitor is steady.

He takes a deep breath and slowly walks over to the right side of the bed where he can touch the hand that isn’t wrapped in bandages. Tony’s skin is icy.

The engineer despises having cold fingers. Bruce knows how he always complains that he can’t keep a proper grip on his tools when he’s got cold hands - one of the reasons why he likes living in Malibu.

The feeling of cold fingers against his nearly undoes him.

_Hurt. HURT!_

At the back of his mind the Hulk howls and he can see his fingers turn green. The rage has no focus, it burns like fire and smoke in his lungs and it makes his eyes tear up, but the Hulk only wants to touch. For now.

Their fingers close around Tony’s in an attempt to lend warmth.

/Oh please, don’t leave me here./

This is what Bruce Banner is afraid of most in this world. To lose this. To lose the man who sees both man and beast and loves them both in equal measure. It can never happen or Bruce _will_ find a way to kill himself.

The Hulk is quiet now. The silence behind his eyes is deafening. Then, finally,

_Yes. Not without Tony._

The door opening jerks Bruce out of his thoughts and he lets go of Tony’s hand immediately. “Dr. Banner,” the man in the white coat addresses him, face all neutral professionality. “I’m Dr. Conners, the attending surgeon.”

“How is he, Doctor?”

The man rubs his tired face before picking up Tony’s chart to add some information or other to the sheet with a blunt pencil.

“I won’t say I understand much about that device in his chest or what exactly it does,” he admits with a weary sigh, “but according to the emergency instructions left by Mr. Stark, it seems to be working as intended still.”

Good. So far, so good. Bruce remains silent, hoping for more.

“He has several broken and splintered ribs which have wandered close to the heart and punctured a lung, unfortunately, but we were able to remove them and there shouldn’t be any lasting damage. There was some shrapnel as well, which could not be removed, but I was told this was a known factor before. ”

Bruce feels his heart unclench at the words. His hand reaches for the bed to steady his sudden weak knees.

“Mr. Stark also sustained a ruptured liver, part of which had to be removed. He will have to be very careful with any kind of alcohol consumption in the future.”

A shaky laugh escapes him. He’ll certainly make sure of that.

“Also, his arm sustained quite some damage. That armor of his was crushed around it and the muscle tissue will actually need more time to recover than the broken bones. There are fractures to his jawbone and skull, both of which are not particularly worrisome, but will cause great discomfort.”

He will live. The relief flooding him at the doctor’s words makes Bruce feel lightheaded. “When is he going to wake up?”

“Not for a while. He will have to be kept in an artificial coma for at least a week, the pain, especially from his arm would be unbearable otherwise.”

Bruce nods as the doctor is already turning back towards the door, not giving him the opportunity to ask any of the thousand questions rattling around in Bruce’s mind right now.

As Dr. Conners exits the room, the nurse sticks his head in. “Sorry, Dr. Banner, you need to leave now, but you're welcome to come back tomorrow.”

Bruce turns back towards Tony for a moment, running his fingers over the back of his hand.

“You’re gonna be okay.”

_Tony. Stay!_

He wants to. He needs to stay. /We can’t./ Tony wouldn’t know he’s here anyway and Bruce needs to tell the others. He hasn’t even thought of them.

Quickly he turns towards the door, not looking back to the motionless form on the narrow bed or he’d probably change his mind like Hulk clearly wants him to.

Once outside in the corridor, he leans his forehead against the wall and takes a few calming breaths. When he looks up again, Natasha’s face is close to his, deathly pale, eyes dark with worry.

He manages a weak smile. “He’s gonna be okay. ”

***


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's in the hospital, still injured, unable to talk. Doesn't keep him from asking important questions, though!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I had a horrible day on top of a horrible week I decided to treat myself (and you!) and post part 2 a day early. Enjoy!

Bruce manages to sleep some that night, despite the constant worry for Tony that won’t leave him. So many things can still go wrong, infection, complications with the freshly set bones, a reaction to the medications… And he thinks of them over and over as every time wakes up.

And he wakes often, as the lights and noises in the apartment are unfamiliar and the sofa isn’t really made for sleeping on, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep in the bed he usually shares with Tony. The lightning flashing across the skyline isn’t helping either.

It’s already getting brighter outside when Thor stumbles past the sofa on his way to the kitchen. Bruce hasn’t seen him since before the team left for their mission.

The demigod doesn’t look good. He’s wearing faded jeans, a hoodie and the smell of alcohol, but doesn’t appear to be drunk. His eyes are red and he looks like he hasn’t slept at all.

“Thor?” Bruce’s voice is rough and scratchy and he clears his throat as Thor jumps and turns toward him. “Are you okay?”

“Aye, my friend.” he sighs, weary.

“Where have you been?”

“Out.” The usually fearless warrior is almost whispering and avoids Bruce’s eyes. It takes a moment to sink in, but when it does Bruce suddenly feels really terrible for him. The God of Thunder blames himself.

“It’s not your fault, you know?”

That draws a disbelieving laugh from his friend. “Not my fault? That I smashed my teammate with my hammer?”

“It’s not like you did it on purpose,” Bruce argues, “or like you could have avoided it.”

“And yet it landed our friend in the hospital, grievously injured. I failed to protect our comrade from harm in my ardor to fight our foes!” The last word booms out and Bruce is actually glad that he is not whispering anymore, even though the volume makes his head pound.

“Welcome to my world,” he can’t help but reply, a healthy dose of sarcasm coloring his voice.

Thor looks a bit taken aback. “I apologize. I never…”

That actually makes Bruce chuckle. “Yeah, they never do. Don’t worry about it,” he brushes off the apology he didn’t need or want anyway. “Just believe me when I tell you that this mess wasn’t your fault. Tony will be fine eventually and as soon as he’s back on his feet, I’m sure he’ll be in the lab for some all-nighters to figure out a way to make his armor invulnerable to magnetism. Or to Mjolnir.”

At that the other man actually snorts. “Knowing Tony Stark I wouldn’t put it in the realm of the impossible.”

Thor’s shoulders relax some and he draws closer to Bruce. “Thank you, my friend.” At Bruce’s nod, he sits down on the couch that Bruce has been using as a bed. “But here you are, comforting me, when it is you that should be comforted. He is your beloved, after all,” he adds When Bruce looks up at him questioningly.

It’s almost funny to hear Tony being referred to as his ‘beloved’. It sounds terribly old-fashioned and Tony is anything but.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You were not so yesterday.”

Bruce shakes his head and rests his chin in his hand. “No, I wasn’t. But they let me see him.”

“This is not usually the custom in Midgard?” Thor asks curiously.

“No one but close family are allowed to visit or make decisions for a person who is incapable.”

“And you are not considered as such, despite the bond you share.” The statement makes it clear what Thor thinks of this midgardian custom.

“No. But Tony apparently had me listed as his next of kin a while ago. Which I didn’t know about till yesterday.”

Now that the relief isn’t so overwhelming anymore, he finds it quite baffling that Tony has actually done so.

“Is it not logical, since he has no blood relations left?”

“Maybe,” Bruce hedges. “I thought he would have chosen Rhodey. They’ve known each other forever and Rhodey surely knows what Tony would want in an emergency. He trusts him."

“Love bears the same trust that long friendship does,” Thor muses and Bruce can’t help the small smile that pulls at his lips.

_ Love. Tony. _

Huh. Seems Hulk finally woke up too. Well, there’s no use denying it to the rumbly voice inside his head. /Yeah./

Out loud he says: “I just never thought he would actually think about stuff like that, to actually plan for a worst case scenario involving him.”

“But he did and he was aware that such a scenario would involve you as well,” Thor muses. His words leave Bruce speechless. 

Thor makes it sound like a freaking wedding proposal. That Tony might have considered his position in such a situation when making a decision like this baffles him. Not that he ever doubted Tony’s love. Because he hasn’t, not once, since the self-proclaimed playboy one day nonchalantly handed him the cipher to JARVIS’s code as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Bruce must have been silent a little too long, because Thor throws him a worried glance. “Well, he could have shared the little fact with me sooner,” he finally says.

Thor laughs. “You forget it is still Tony Stark we are talking about!”

“My mistake,” he admits with a smile and runs a hand through his hair. “Of  course he didn’t share. People might actually find out he’s a human being just like the rest of us.” He looks at his friend sideways, considering. “Present company excluded, of course.”

Thor just smiles and shakes his head.

Outside the sun is slowly climbing over the horizon to make the day bright and beautiful. The storm clouds have passed and the God of Thunder seems to be in a much better mood. Bruce gets up and stretches. Time for a shower and a trip to the hospital. Perhaps he can visit Tony early.

***

At first Bruce is only allowed to visit a few minutes each day, but when it becomes clear to him that Tony is healing, he doesn’t mind so much. It takes more than a week for Tony’s body to heal enough for him to actually wake up and then only for a short while.

The first time he recognizes Bruce by his bedside, Tony’s cold fingers clench around his, weak but noticeable. Bruce reluctantly lets go of Tony’s hand, once the injured man falls back asleep, even though the beast inside him rumbles in protest. He’s never been entirely comfortable with public displays of affection and has no idea if Tony even welcomes his touch while his whole body is hurting.

He talks to the unconscious man, though, murmurs inconsequential things close to his ear, even though he is sure Tony doesn’t even hear him, as he is still on the good drugs. But he still manages to get across his displeasure at being denied the physical contact with Bruce through a thunderous glare the next time he wakes. 

Bruce decides to hell with it and takes Tony’s hand in his again.

As Tony gets better and is transferred out of the ICU some of the others accompany him and he smiles at them with tired pain-clouded eyes. When Thor comes to apologize to him he lifts a weak hand and waves dismissively before falling back asleep.

Talking is still out, even though he has meanwhile been extubated, because his upper and lower jaw had to be wired together to help with the healing of the broken bone. Also Tony is still wearing an oxygen mask most of the time. His injured lung makes breathing difficult.

Bruce can sit by his side until visitation hours are over and he often does, though he tries to stay at the tower to work in the lab when he knows Steve or Clint or Natasha will be with Tony. He doesn’t want to crowd him. But when Bruce comes in the next day Tony usually won’t let go of his hand for quite some time and tries to fight off sleep as long as he can.

Several days after Tony has been transferred out of ICU Pepper comes by for a visit, finally back from her trip abroad. Bruce waits outside the room to give them privacy. She and Bruce never have warmed up to each other after Tony broke up with her. He is just glad he hasn’t cost Tony his friend.

At one point during Pepper’s visit Clint arrives and waits with Bruce to say hello to Tony and take Bruce home. They step into the room together as Pepper says her goodbyes.

“Hey there, looking good today,” Clint jokes and Tony lifts an eloquent finger. He still looks like shit, his face colored in every hue of the rainbow.

“Your ASL is getting better,” he snarks, drawing an amused snort from Bruce. They’re all trying to learn some ASL for Clint’s sake, but languages have never been Tony’s forte, even though he’s usually very good with words and hands.

Tony is silent for a moment, thinking, before waving at them, or rather Bruce, the gesture accompanied by an incoherent mumble.

Bruce immediately catches on and steps closer to the bed. Tony signs something, which he guesses to mean something like ‘practise’.

“You should practise with him,” Bruce says, his words accompanied by hesitant hand movements he is sure don’t match the actual meanings. He nods toward Clint on the other side of the bed.

Tony shakes his head and winces as the movement jars multiple fractures. Bruce sighs and tries to put a comforting hand on Tony’s, but gets shaken off much to his surprise.

His eyes meet Tony’s, then follow his hands, as one palm cradles the other and then rises to his chest, pointing. It’s a gesture he doesn’t know, something with ‘me’ at the end.

Clint’s sudden laugh full of surprise makes his head jerk up, then back down to Tony.

“What…”

Clint interrupts before Bruce can go on. “He just asked you to marry him.”

Bruce is speechless, his mouth hanging open. He must have misunderstood. His friends are having him on, surely! But when he looks at Tony there’s a hopeful shine to his eyes that tell Bruce just how very serious he is.

“You should probably say something,” Clint teases from behind him and Bruce closes his mouth with an audible click.

“You mean it?” he breathes tonelessly. 

Tony nods, very tentatively, mindful of his injuries.

“What brought this on?”

“Nat told him how long they made you wait to see him.”

Bruce swallows hard and laughs. “Is that the only reason? So I can hold your hand as soon as you land yourself in the hospital the next time?”

That draws a snort from the man on the bed and Clint snickers somewhere behind him, but Bruce’s attention is on Tony’s good hand, thumb, index finger and pinky outstretched, middle and ring finger pressed to his palm. ‘I love you.’

He can’t hold back any longer, he closes his eyes and leans forward to rest his forehead against Tony’s good shoulder. ”I love you too.”

_ Love, Tony. Urgency. YES. _

He knows exactly what his greener half means. There’s only one answer that counts. “Oh, and Hulk says to tell you yes already.”

The exhale is one of relief and amusement and at that moment Bruce wishes they were alone with no oxygen mask between them.

“Well, congratulations you two,” Clint quips up. He pats Bruce on the back and gives Tony a fist bump. “I bet in the future nobody will be able to keep him out of your hospital room, because the whole world will know the doc’s face from your wedding photo.”

At that Bruce looks up sharply, a grimace horror on his face that makes Tony snort into his mask. “Oh hell, no.”

“Oh hell, you already said yes!” Clint grins and fistbumps with Tony. “You just agreed to a wedding Tony style. This is gonna be the society wedding of the year!!”

Groaning, he lets his head sink back against Tony’s shoulder. It’s true, he said yes to Tony’s proposal and probably to the biggest and most extravagant public wedding that the country has ever seen. Well, it’s a good thing he can do big. 

Tony’s hand slides up his back to sink into his hair and Bruce sighs. That much publicity is at least going to make sure that nobody will want to see his ID anymore.

“ I hope you won’t insist on a suit, then,” he finally replies, lifting his head to meet Tony’s questioning eyes with a grin. “Because I’m not sure they make them Hulk-size!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit my [tumblr](http://harvestingstorm.tumblr.com/) sometime. You might catch a nice headcanon or two ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Stay tuned for part 2! And come visit my [tumblr](http://harvestingstorm.tumblr.com/) sometime. You might catch a nice headcanon or two ;)


End file.
